Keeping your saw blades sharp is key to making clean safe cuts with your tools. But sharpening blades yourself is nearly impossible since it requires specialized equipment. And getting blades sharpened professionally can be a hassle and take several days. There is something you can do to help keep your blades sharp that is easy to do: clean them!

With use, saw blades build up a coat of pitch from the wood they are cutting. So while the blade may still be sharp, it doesn't cut as well since the pitch is keeping the cutting surface of the blade hidden. So to keep your blades sharp, clean them on a regular basis.

You can clean saw blades with any sort of cleaner that will remove pitch: Kerosene and Simple Green have both worked well for me. But when cleaning, be sure to not use any sort of metal or abrasive scrubbers when cleaning as these may dull the blade surface. Just use a cleaner with a rag.

If you haven't cleaned your saw blades before, you'll be surprised how much sharper they seem after a good cleaning.